'Welcome to Mexico, Hola': Lee and wife greet locals in surprise street encounter

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung greeted members of the Korean diaspora and mingled with local residents in Zona Rosa, Mexico City, on Friday (local time) during a state visit to Mexico.

Zona Rosa is one of Mexico City's most prominent commercial districts and has been home to a thriving Korean business community since Koreans began settling there in earnest in the 1990s.

The presidential couple strolled through the neighborhood with Ambassador Lee Ju-il, who briefed them along the way. They walked slowly along streets lined with Korean-owned shops, taking in the everyday lives of compatriots who have built their livelihoods in Mexico City.

Lee and Kim warmly greeted a Korean mother and daughter they encountered along the way. The president also stopped to chat with and encourage a young girl attending a local elementary school.

Mexican residents cheered the couple with "annyeonghaseyo" in Korean and "Welcome to Mexico" in English. Lee and Kim called back "Hola" — the Spanish greeting — and happily posed for photos with the crowd.

The visit also offered a vivid glimpse of Mexicans' enthusiasm for Korean popular culture. One local resident said she had come to Zona Rosa to eat hansik before heading to a Stray Kids concert that evening. Young fans wearing Stray Kids T-shirts and carrying light sticks were also spotted on the street, and the presidential couple laughed and exchanged high-fives with them.